ELAN is to enter into talks to settle a lawsuit taken against the company by the family of a woman who died after taking its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri.

BANK OF IRELAND has controversially appointed multi-millionaire tax exile Denis O’Brien as its new deputy chairman.

SOME €20 million in dividend payments were made last year to the O’Flaherty family, owners of one of the largest car dealerships in the country.

THE joint managing director of international drinks company Pernod Ricard is to become the next Governor of the Bank of Ireland.

Bank of Ireland has announced the appointment of Richard Burrows as governor-designate. He will take over the job of governor from Laurence Crowley in July.

PROFITS at PJ Carroll cigarette company fell by more than €20 million last year, according to its most recent accounts. Carrolls, which has been in business for 180 years, said profits plunged because of restructuring of the company.

THE controversy surrounding Bank of Ireland’s funding of a publisher of pornographic magazines was finally put to bed yesterday when the bank confirmed it had transferred its €7 million loan to Remnant Media to another bank.

BANK OF IRELAND'S Irish businesses have performed strongly so far this year and a good performance is expected for the year as a whole, shareholders at the bank's annual general meeting were told yesterday.

The ISEQ index bounced back from a bad day yesterday, climbing 17.97 to end the day at 5,418.12.

Bank of Ireland has predicted further good results for the rest of 2004 after reporting strong first quarter results with reduced costs throughout the group.

The ISEQ was down 10.24 points this morning to 5316.08.

Laurence Crowley has said that the prospect of a takeover bid for Bank of Ireland has not increased despite the recent resignation of chief executive, Michael Soden.

HOURS after Bank of Ireland said it was not vulnerable to a takeover, Barclays bank's Kerry-born chief executive Matthew Barrett said his bank is open to partnerships or mergers to keep pace with US competitors.

THE chief executive of the country’s second largest banking group sensationally quit his position over the weekend after being caught accessing adult websites in breach of company guidelines.

BANK OF IRELAND will move to appoint a successor to Michael Soden as early as this week, but the vacancy left by former Aer Lingus chairman Tom Mulcahy will remain unfilled until later in the summer.

The Bank of Ireland has appointed David Dilger and George Magan to its Court of Directors with effect from tomorrow.

The Bank of Ireland has said that trading for the first three months of the year was 'satisfactory' despite uncertainty in the global economic and equity markets.

WHILE profits at Bank of Ireland met market forecasts, the shares fell 5% to €10.86 in early trading.

EARLIER this year, Bank of Ireland’s top management had every reason to feel a little smug.

THE board of the British bank Abbey National plc may be forced to re-think its rejection of Bank of Ireland's takeover offer if institutional shareholders decide they like the Irish bank's plans.

ABBEY NATIONAL is no stranger to takeover bids and it is presently ripe for the picking.

Bank of Ireland is in talks to merge with Abbey National and create Europe's 12th largest bank.

FINNISH metals group Outokumpu is to buy the Bula ore body next to its Tara zinc mine in for €35 million which will extend the lifetime of the mine.

Following the contract signed in May 2001 and having received the necessary court approvals, Outokumpu to acquire the Bula assets (the Bula orebody, known also as the Nevinstown orebody).

ELAN shares have been given an "avoid" rating by Merrion Stockbrokers in the wake of the company's global conference call to investors yesterday when plans to raise €1 billion in an asset sell-off were unveiled.